Have you even heard of the M Hotel Singapore?  I hadn’t either, before my stay.  Located a short walk from the Tanjong Pagar Metro Station, the M Hotel really does cater to business travelers.  Found in the central business district and surrounded by densely packed skyscrapers.  This hotel was where Mike stayed for the week while in Singapore. His office is just around the corner.

Check-In

I arrived around 13h00.  My name had been put on our reservation and it was made clear that I would just need to show up, present a photo ID and grab my key.  Not so much.  When I arrived, the four people working reception were chatting amongst themselves and watching something on their phones.  After a couple “Excuse mes” and “Pardons”, one lady tore herself away to help me.  She said Mike didn’t have a reservation, despite the fact that he’d been there for four days already.  She eventually found it, but said I wasn’t listed and he’d have to come back and vouch for me.  Fine…I’d just leave my suitcase and head out to explore.  Since I had taken a shower in Taipei just a few hours earlier, that wasn’t a big deal.  She wouldn’t let me check my luggage – it was only for registered guests.

“MayI speak to the front desk manager please?”

A couple minutes later, the manager arrives, I explain my situation and he immediately says “Ah, yes, Mr. Timothy. Mr. Mike told me of your arrival.  You are in room X on the 24th floor.”  Then he started speaking Mandarin to the woman previously helping me.  He was pointing vigorously at the monitor and appeared to be scolding her.  I don’t speak Mandarin in the slightest, but I know when someone is getting a dressing down.  He delivered my keys with way too many apologies.

The Room

The elevators were a little slow, so once one arrived, it was a bit like Lord of the Flies trying to board.  I had forgotten about pushy Chinese Tourists.  I didn’t make it on the first elevator.  The second one was mine – I barreled through the crowd and made it to my room in short order.

Equipped with a queen sized bed, this room was meant for a business traveler.  The room was a decent size and served our most basic needs well.

The compact and efficient room.

TV and minibar flanked one wall.

This rooms work space was large with lots of power outlets.

Lounge chair with a view

While a relatively nice hotel, it didn’t have a relaxed vacation feel to it. We decided to move after just one night.  The hotel did have a pool, but it looked pretty rough and I really wanted to spend at least an hour poolside.  We decided to move to the SO Sofitel for the last two nights of our stay.

Other than the issues at check-in and the hordes of loud Chinese tourists commandeering the elevators, we had one other interesting experience.  While grabbing breakfast one morning, I was enjoying some noodles and dumplings (I hate traditional breakfasts) and a man just sits down with me at the two-top table.  85% of the other tables were completely free, but he chose to dine with me.  He didn’t say a word. He read his news paper and slurped his noodles.  It was so strange – I have never seen anything like this before.

Have you stayed at the M Hotel Singapore before?  What did you think of the property?  Did you hang out at the pool at all?  How many random Chinese people sat down with you at breakfast?